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A new report has found that young Australian men no longer dedicate over half their pay packets to souping up their cars with accessories and modifications.
That’s according to a new report from the Bureau of Amateur Road Racers, Retailers, Repairmen and professionals (BARRRP).
The study has found that since the early 2010s, there has been a significant drop in the amount of young men prioritising their cars above dating, housing, clothing and any other basic life fundamentals.
BARRRP says that from as early as the mid 1960s, a vast number of young Australian men were absolutely infatuated with buying, modifying, racing and selling motor vehicles.
“From the 1960s to the 1980s, young blokes would work with what they had access to – this was mostly Australian muscle vehicles and the odd American import” says lead researcher Dr Dominic McClenathan.
“By the mid to late 1980s we had the arrival of Japanese vehicles. That was when the game changed for everyone. Skylines. Rexys. Lancers. Every bloke had a bodykit and a big fuck off spoiler with the cannon exhaust.”
“If you didn’t have a job that paid well enough for these mods, then the only option really was to get involved in crime”
The report found that by the time the Fast & The Furious came out in cinemas, young Australian blokes had some of the most souped up cars in the world, and Australian women would either have to get on board with this hobby or go and marry a doctor or footballer.
“Eventually the girls started modifying their cars as well” says McClenathan.
“Starting with the frangipani and playboy bunny stickers, and eventually maturing into full blown pink spray jobs”
However, by the 2010s, this great Australian past time appeared to have been shrinking. The report has found a direct correlation with the Australian housing crisis.
“Young people can’t even afford a rent in most cities. There’s no chance they’d have any cash left over for a pearlescent paint job and hydraulics. Neons? Forget about it”
“The release of Need For Speed underground on Playstation and Xbox was probably the high-watermark for the scene” the report outlined.
“Since then, young blokes just don’t make enough coin to invest in their pride and joy”
“Not to mention the introduction of EVs. It’s pretty hard to modify a 3D printed computer”
“Cops obviously haven’t helped either. Pigs”
